


So Many Stars

by typical_art_dork



Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F, this is an underrated ship and they deserve content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 16:30:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14918880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/typical_art_dork/pseuds/typical_art_dork
Summary: Cady and Janis are both stupid with love.(Alternate title: I'm extremely salty about the lack of Cady/Janis content on this site so I had to take matters into my own hands and create a series of one-shots that I'll probably never finish because of my sheer lack of motivation.)





	1. Cool Kids Never Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this very late at night, mainly out of boredom. It's not my best work, but it's something? I haven't really mastered these characters' voices yet, so I had a bit of trouble, but I think it's fairly good for my first fic. Thank you for reading!!

When it happens, they're all huddled together in Damian's basement, surrounded by pillows and snack wrappers, rain pattering against the windows like a distorted lullaby.  
The room is dimly lit by two lamps and a string of fairy lights above the couch, and despite the poor lighting, Cady can clearly make out all of her friends' faces. It's still odd to think of all of them that way-- her friends.  
Regina, Gretchen, and Karen are all seated side-by-side, and to their right is Damian, who's sitting beside Cady and Janis. 

Technically, they're there to study for their psychology final, but for the sake of being truthful, they're also there to hang out... and maybe watch a few vine compilations, which Cady still doesn't really understand. 

They're halfway through their second set of flashcards when Janis' eyes start fluttering shut. Cady had noticed the dark circles rimming her eyes early in the day, but hadn't said anything to avoid embarrassing her friend. Janis had a tendency to stay up late painting after she had a rough day, and Cady knew well enough not to bring attention to it.

Oddly enough, it's Karen who notices Janis nodding off first. 

"Is Janis meditating?" Janis, (who, to  
her credit, had been trying her best to stay alert) slumps over onto Cady's shoulder in response. 

"Okay, no one wake her up," Damian warns. "She'll probably bite your head off if you do." Suffice it to say, none of them doubt this. Gretchen scoots away from Cady, tugging Karen with her. 

Cady, who's kind-of internally panicking, grabs a throw pillow and places it on one knee. From there, she eases Janis onto her lap and covers her with the nearest blanket. 

Regina, who is still working on the whole not-being-a-jerk thing, rolls her eyes at the debacle. "That's cute and all, Cady, but why didn't you just put her beside you?" 

Damian looks exasperated with all of them, and whisper-screams, "Do you people have selective hearing?! Do not, under any circumstances, wake Janis up!" 

Gretchen is trying her best not to laugh as Cady turns beet-red and Damian continues to rant as quietly as possible for fear of waking Janis. Karen just looks confused.  
Suddenly, Janis stirs, and abruptly grabs Cady's hand. As Cady's face flushes, Janis smiles in her sleep. Regina chokes on her vegan smoothie. Damian sits back and accepts their fate. 

Cady looks like she's on the verge of going into cardiac arrest, and Gretchen whips out her phone as soon as she notices her friend blushing.

Just as she snaps the photo, Janis sits up, and Cady's hands instinctively move to her shoulders to steady her.

"What the hell, you guys? Why are you looking at me like I have three heads?"  
Janis is peeved, and Regina makes the mistake of letting out a giggle.

"Oh my God, did I start talking in my sleep again?" Janis looks legitimately worried now, and she whips around to face Damian. "Damian, did I start talking-" 

"No, nothing like that, Jan, it's fine! You just got kinda affectionate with Caddy here. It wasn't anything bad-" 

"Janis talks in her sleep?" This time, it's Cady who speaks up. Damian suppresses a chuckle, and Janis shoots him a glare that could rival Regina's. 

"Well, sometimes, yeah," Damian starts. Before he can finish, a pillow hits him square in the face. Janis grins evilly, and Gretchen is getting it all on tape. Regina, now looking extremely miffed that her smoothie ruined her new top, rolls her eyes at the entire scene, and before anyone can stop her, she's already opened her mouth. 

"So are we gonna talk about Cady and Janis now or are we just gonna pretend this whole thing never happened and keep studying? I swear to God, it's exhausting watching the two of them every day, it's like they're blind to their own chemistry!" 

Cady's jaw drops, Damian looks like Regina's just suggested they make a cult sacrifice, and if looks could kill, Janis' glare would have Regina on the floor in a second flat. 

"What?! Are you all seriously going to tell me that no one else has noticed it?!"

"Noticed what, Regina?" Janis snarls, and Regina merely smirks before continuing.

"How much time you two spend together, how physically affectionate you are, even for girls that are best friends. Cady blushes every time you laugh, for God's sake. It's disgusting, and also blatantly obvious. You're constantly talking about each other to me, but neither of you know that because you're too stupid to realize how much you actually like each other."

Janis is gaping. Gretchen thanks the universe that she has enough storage on her phone to be getting all of this! Damian's gone to the kitchen to make popcorn, and Cady's face is as red as her hair.  
Karen is looking over the flashcards. They're upside-down. 

"Regina! Are you.. you're actually serious? Okay, first of all, I know a straight girl when I see one, and Cady is definitely st-" 

"Uhh, Janis?" Cady's finally interjected, still blushing, and Janis turns to meet her eyes.

"I'm, uh... I'm bisexual." 

Damian drops the bowl of popcorn. He's rushing over to hug Cady. 

Regina looks triumphant; she moves past Janis to high-five Cady and settles back into her spot, smirking.  
Karen is still messing with the flashcards. Gretchen stops recording to pull Cady into a hug, and Janis sits stock-still, looking like someone's pulled the rug out from under her. 

Cady is smiling now, but there's worry around her eyes. Janis still hasn't responded.

"Janis?" 

"I just.. wow. That's... that's great, Caddy! I'm so proud of you!" And then Cady throws her arms around Janis, who stiffens at first before returning the embrace.

Karen finally puts down the flashcards.

"So are you dipsticks finally gonna come to your senses and start dating?" Regina is relentless.

Cady pulls away from the hug, looking a little uneasy. Janis' face has morphed back into a glare, directed at Regina.

"Look, Regina, it's none of your business, and whether or not Cady even feels comfortable with the prospect of dating anybody yet is entirely up to her, and I'm not saying I like, like her or anything, I just, I mean... If Cady liked me and wanted to date-- wait, no, that was--" Janis is the one blushing now, and her hands are trembling. 

"Maybe we should just keep studying?" Damian, ever the buffer, decides to step in and save the day. Cady is looking at Janis like she's never seen her before. Janis is looking at the carpet like it's suddenly very interesting. 

Two hours and three sets of flashcards later, Cady, Damian, and Janis are seeing the former Plastics out the door. Regina, still fussing over her blouse, gives a final wave. "Hope you guys get your crap together soon!" 

The door shuts behind them, and Janis glares at it. 

"So, I'm gonna go... to my room now," Damian says cautiously, sidestepping Cady and heading for his bedroom down the hall.

Cady places a hand on Janis' shoulder, and the other girl whips around, shoulders tensed. 

"Look, Cady, I'm really sorry about today, and I just--"

"Don't apologize." 

"What?" Janis looks taken aback. 

"Janis, I don't want you to feel like you have to be sorry for anything you feel for me, okay? Whether it's just friendship, or something more-- which I wouldn't mind, I mean, you're really kind and funny and you're witty and you have great hair, like, really great hair, and if I'm being completely honest, I--" Cady stops mid-sentence, her eyes going wide with realization. 

Janis moves toward her cautiously. "Cady? You okay?"

Cady blinks rapidly, shaking her head as if she's clearing it. "Yeah, yeah.. I just... God, I think Regina's right. I think I do like you. Like, as more than a friend... Is that weird?" 

Holy crap.

It feels like someone's doused Janis with ice-cold water, and suddenly everything is coming into focus. Why Cady's laugh had been giving her butterflies, why every time she took Janis' hand it felt almost electric. 

"Janis?" Cady looks anxious now, and Janis has the sudden urge to wrap her in a hug and protect her from whatever's making her face scrunch up like that. 

Then she remembers it's her. 

And that she has to open her mouth to speak.

"I.. Um, I think I like you too. Like, as more than a friend. It didn't really make sense until I thought about everything just now, I just... I didn't realize that what I was feeling for you wasn't completely platonic. Like, when you grab onto my hand when we're in a crowd at school or at one of Regina's parties I get all tingly, and when you smile at me it's like everything around us kind of dissipates for a second, and this is not making any sense, wow," Janis is tugging at the hem of her jacket and her face is beet-red, and Cady decides she wants nothing more than to kiss her then and there.

So she does.


	2. The Folks Are Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Plastics meet the Heathers, ft. disaster gays Cady and Janis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for all the kind words on the previous chapter, they made me so happy!! I just really love this pairing and I think they deserve some attention. With that being said, enjoy this one-shot revolving around Cady and Janis crashing a Remington party and Regina and Heather C. being the queens we all deserve!

Sometimes Cady wonders if Janis even has a conscience. Damian claims that after Cady transferred to Northshore, she became Janis' moral compass. Needless to say, Cady believes him. 

"Are you sure this is a good--"

"Caddy, I am scaling a fence right now. Like, as you're talking to me. At eleven forty-five at night. Shouldn't that be all the proof you need that I'm sure of myself? I know what I'm doing, and--" 

Janis stops mid-sentence. The fence has snagged on her fishnets, and her face twists into an expression of extreme disapproval. 

"You were saying?" Cady grins. Janis merely shoots her a pointed look and resumes her struggle in freeing her tights. She wobbles for a moment and almost looses her grip, and Cady panics briefly. 

It was Regina's idea for all of them to sneak into the Remington party, but Janis and Cady decided to arrive fashionably late. In hindsight, it wasn't the best choice. 

As if on cue, Cady's phone buzzes. Predictably, Gretchen and Karen are blowing up the group chat, asking where Janis and Cady are. Cady heaves a sigh, keeping an eye on Janis as she types out a reply. 

gretch-is-fetch: where are you guys?! damian is freaking out! also, regina is in a stare-down with this really tall girl in red and it's super intense, we need moral support!

caddyheron: sorry!! janis' tights are stuck on the fence, and i'm waiting for her. tell regina we said she's got this! what's the argument over?

gretch-is-fetch: WE NEED MORAL SUPPORT

karen-the-sexy-mouse: i think they're just having a staring contest! oh wait, never mind, regina just blinked.

gaymian: regina was hitting on this brunette in a weird blue blazer, and i guess the girl in all red was jealous or something, and now they're just standing and glaring at each other and the brunette looks like she really wants to leave. it's kinda funny. tell  
janis to just let the tights rip, you guys need to get over here and witness this!

"Janis!" 

"What? I'm kinda preoccupied right now--" 

"Damian says your tights can be replaced, but seeing Regina lose a fight is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Regina's losing a FIGHT?!" Janis almost loses her balance jumping off of the fence. When she lands, her knees buckle and she stumbles to the right. Cady grabs her by the elbows and heaves her back up, already heading for the front door. It's hard to tell in the dim light, but Cady thinks she can see Janis blushing. 

Weird. 

They join hands as they're nearly plowed over by a group of already-tipsy frat boys, and the bass of some generic pop song blasting from the speakers rattles in Cady's head. Parties like this were never her thing, but Janis' reaction is even more negative. Her shoulders tense before they're even past the foyer, and Cady feels a pang of sympathy in her chest. 

Suddenly, Damian careens into them, eyes wild with excitement. "Guys, over here!" He grabs Cady by the arm and tugs her and Janis through the sea of teenagers, stopping once they're in what looks like the living room. In the dead center, Regina is locked in an intense-looking fight with a tall strawberry-blonde dressed head to toe in nothing but red. 

"All I did was ask who she was here with!" Regina's gone full-Plastic mode, eyes glinting with malice. 

"You are SUCH a PILLOWCASE, that's already more than I allow!" The taller girl's voice is dripping with venom. It could cut steel.

"More than you-- what, is she your PROPERTY, or something?!" Regina is peeved now. Cady can see the brunette girl Damian had mentioned earlier. She looks like she wants to sink into the floor.

Red girl's face turns the same color as her blazer. She looks rightfully pissed.

Off to the side, Cady sees Gretchen and Karen talking with three other girls. They're all dressed as if they've color-coded their outfits; one is in green, one is in yellow, and one, the brunette, is in blue. Weird, but kind of cool. 

Cady tugs Janis with her as she saunters over. Gretchen and Karen squeal with excitement and promptly introduce their new friends. 

The girls in yellow and green are both named Heather, and Cady stifles a laugh when they tell her the girl in red shares the same name as well. 

Janis still looks slightly uncomfortable, but she's talking animatedly with the girl  
in blue (Vivian? Or was it Veronica?)  
now, so Cady figures she's fine. 

Suddenly, the Heather in red lets out a scream of rage. Everyone around Cady jumps about a foot in the air, except for Veronica, who looks 100% done with everyone around her save for Janis. 

Cady sneaks a glance over at Regina and Heather Chandler, and her eyes widen at the scene.  
Regina's poured her ice-cold drink over Heather's head, and the look in the girl's eyes is downright murderous. Damian is cackling like this is the best thing he's seen all night, and Gretchen is filming it all on her phone.  
Karen looks baffled by the whole exchange, and Cady has no doubt that she probably still thinks they were having a staring contest and is wondering why it constitutes pouring your drink on your opponent. 

Red Heather's jaw is clenched and her hands are curled into fists at her sides. A small crowd is gathering around her and Regina, and it only fuels her anger.

Suddenly, Heather makes a manic lunge for Regina, who yelps and stumbles backward into a pool table. Veronica, looking conflicted for a moment, rushes over to grab Heather by the arm and pull her away. Cady can't hear what Veronica's saying, but she sounds miffed. Janis and Damian are gaping. 

Gretchen is typing manically, probably uploading the video she took to YouTube or Twitter. 

Yellow and Green Heather (Cady never caught their last names) bid their goodbyes and follow Veronica and Heather Chandler to the kitchen. Damian, now looking bored, examines his nails. Gretchen's face lights up-- her video is probably already getting tons of views. Regina has moved on to another victim, chatting up a short girl with dyed pink hair in the corner of the still-crowded room. Cady shifts from foot to foot, unsure of what to do with herself. She catches Janis' eye, and jerks her head in the direction of the nearest exit. Janis seems to get what Cady's saying, and she nods and follows her out. 

The crisp night air is refreshing, and Cady is glad that her parents are out of town as she checks her phone for the time. It's already past midnight, and if she returned home at this hour and her parents were there, they'd probably skin her alive. She looks over at Janis, who's shivering slightly. For once, she'd forgotten a jacket. Cady sheds her flannel and drapes it around the other girl's shoulders. Janis smiles at her in thanks, and Cady feels it tug on her heartstrings. 

"So, you wanna just stay at my place tonight? My parents are out of town on business." 

Janis grins. "Yeah, that would be great. Thanks, Caddy." 

Cady rolls her eyes at the nickname, but something coils tight in her chest at the same time. She's not really sure what's changed in the past few weeks, but suddenly she's feeling a lot more for Janis than she did at the beginning of junior year. 

"I'm glad we went tonight.. I hate parties, but watching Regina pour her drink over that girl's head was hilariously beautiful." Cady is shaken from her reverie by Janis' comment, and she hurries to formulate a semi-coherent response.

"Yeah, that was pretty crazy..."

"Cady?" She can feel Janis' eyes on her now. Her face feels flushed, which doesn't make sense, because it's cold outside, and--

"Cady. You okay?" Cady's head snaps up, and Janis is way closer than she thought, and she can see the flecks of green in her eyes, and suddenly Cady's heart is racing. She wonders for a moment if she's dying, or if she's already dead. 

"I just... yeah, I'm fine," She shoots her friend what she hopes is a convincing smile. "I just got light-headed for a second there, sorry."  
"Okay, but are you sure you're alright? You had me scared there for a second." 

"Yeah, I'm sure." 

Cady waits for Janis to move, but it doesn't happen. Instead, the other girl puts her hand on Cady's shoulder and moves even closer. Cady thinks she might pass out. 

"Is it... okay if I kiss you?" Janis looks the most vulnerable Cady's ever seen her, which makes no sense to Cady in the moment because of course it's okay for Janis to kiss her! Why is she taking so long to? 

And then Cady remembers that she needs to answer her. 

"Yeah," she breathes, and suddenly Janis is gripping Cady's shirt collar and pulling her in, and it's like her brain short-circuits. She melts into the kiss, and everything around her dissipates. 

So was breaking into the house party worth it? Yeah, Cady would say it was.


	3. Dancing in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cady has something to ask Janis.

In hindsight, she regrets nothing about what happened on Tuesday.

Janis had waltzed over to Cady and Damian's table in the cafeteria, lack of sleep completely evident on her face, and proposed, almost theatrically, that they should ditch school and get coffee at a local café a couple of blocks over.  
Ordinarily, Damian wouldn't have been opposed, but this time he sighed and muttered something about having to take a chemistry test. Janis's face fell, and she looked over at Cady.

"Uh, I... sure, that sounds great!" Cady got the reaction she was aiming for as Janis's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Cady's wrist and hauled her to her feet. They waved goodbye to Damian as they left the cafeteria.

The walk to the café was, as expected, filled with laughter. Although Cady loved Gretchen and Karen and Regina, there was no one else that made her feel as comfortable in her own skin as Janis. She also found, over time, that the moments they shared alone together were rarely ever quiet. That was a good thing, of course.  
They shuffled into the coffee shop and Janis plunked her backpack down by a window overlooking the street, saving them a table. There were no other customers in the café other than a man who looked to be about in his twenties tapping away vigorously on a laptop. Cady ordered what Janis ordered, partly because she hadn't ever had anything on the menu and partly because it made Janis smile. 

They sat, warm drinks in hand, and soaked up the relief of simply escaping the havoc of high school life, if only for an hour. 

Janis rambled on about the homophobic kids in her government class with the casual distaste of someone who was too tired of experiencing the same injustices over and over to even get fired up about it anymore. It made Cady's heart clench in her chest, and she didn't realize how tight she was gripping her styrofoam coffee cup until she almost spilled it. Janis's eyes widened, but instead of getting angry, she let out a laugh. 

"Caddy, you gotta learn to control yourself! We're in public!" Her tone had a teasing lilt to it that made Cady's face flush, and she tried to wrap her brain around that fact for a minute before Janis interrupted her train of thought. 

"Oh my God, it's starting to rain! We HAVE to go dance, come on!" Janis, who had finished her coffee, chucked her cup in the nearest trash can. In a matter of seconds, Cady was being dragged out of a building for the second time that day by her all-too-eager friend. She didn't protest.

The feeling of rain hit her instantly. It wasn't pouring, but it definitely wasn't a drizzle, either. Cady blinked water out of her eyes as Janis laughed and twirled her. It was all very cheesy-teen-rom-com. Cady loved it.  
They made their way down the street, Janis skipping and improvising dance moves that were far from elegant. Cady trailed behind her, timid, but a smile still on her face. She tried to fight the butterflies in her stomach, but ultimately, they won over as Janis lunged for her, pulling her into a side-hug and ruffling her hair. Her own hair was drenched and dripping. While Cady had been staying under the awnings of the shops lining the street, Janis embraced the downpour completely.  
By the time they got to Janis's house, they were both soaked with rainwater.

Janis wrung her hair out on the porch as thunder cracked overhead. They had decided, in a sort of split-second decision, that returning to school was pointless. Futile. Completely and utterly un-do-able, as Janis so eloquently put it. 

"So, Caddy, my parents are both at work which means we have the house to ourselves," Janis said, and Cady could tell she was smirking teasingly without even looking at her. 

"That's great. You know how out-of-control I am," Cady shot back, pulling her jacket out of her backpack to dry off.

Janis snickered as she pulled the spare house key out of a potted plant. The door swung open with a creak, and they hurried inside as lightning lit up the inside of the house, spider-webbing its way across the indigo sky. 

Janis led Cady upstairs into her bedroom. Their voices echoed off the walls on the staircase, and Cady tried once again to shake the all-too-familiar feeling of affection as Janis's hand grazed her own. She needed to get ahold of herself.

Two hours, three ranting sessions, one karaoke duet, and half a movie later, Cady plopped down beside Janis on her bed. Rain still pattered a steady beat against the windows, and it put her slightly at ease. 

The rare silences that they did share were always comfortable, but Cady was itching with the question. It had been burning to get out for the past three weeks, and she had reached her limit.  
She turned on her side to face Janis, who looked at her expectantly.

"...Have you ever kissed a girl?" 

Janis's eyes went wide, and when she opened her mouth to reply, she immediately started choking. Cady sat bolt upright, tugging Janis into a sitting position with her. 

"Janis, ohmygod, I'm sorry, it was just a question, I... Oh God," Janis's wheezes turned into peals of laughter, and Cady visibly relaxed.

"Caddy, Caddy, it's fine. It's just... you surprised me. I'm sorry." Janis sat fully upright so that she was eye-level with her friend, and Cady noted that her cheeks were tinged a faint pink. It made her heart do cartwheels inside her chest.

"And, to answer your question, um... yeah. It was... it was awhile ago, this girl at my art camp, Sheryl. She was the only girl I've ever kissed. The only person, really. It's kind of embarrassing, to be honest. We were like, fourteen, and we had no idea what we were doing." Janis chuckled lightly at the memory. And then she asked the question Cady just knew she was going to ask; it made her stomach drop nonetheless.

"Why do you ask?"

"Um, well... Okay, so I don't really... God, this is HARD TO SAY!" Cady laughed in spite of herself at the embarrassment of it all, but Janis's eyes were soft and her voice was steady and soothing when she spoke again. It was very out-of-character.

"Hey, don't worry, okay? Whatever it is, I'm not gonna judge. Scout's honor."

Cady took a shuddering breath, and continued. "I think I might like girls? But like, I like guys TOO, it's so WEIRD! I think I'm messed up or something, Janis, I'm sorry, I--"

"Whoa, whoa, Cady. Look at me, okay?" Janis's face was scrunched up, and Cady realized through her muddled thoughts that she was concerned. 

"You are NOT messed up. What you're talking about is... it's called being bisexual. You can be attracted to more than one gender, it's perfectly normal. There's nothing wrong with you, okay?" Janis's hand was on Cady's shoulder now, stroking up and down, and Cady felt her breathing slow to a normal rate. 

"Okay. Uh, thank you. That... that means a lot, I've just been so confused lately. I really thought I was like, defective or something." She laughed, and Janis cracked a smile with her. 

"So... do you-- wait, no. Um... I don't wanna weird you out, Jan, but I have another question."

Janis merely nodded encouragingly.

"Can I... Can I kiss you? Just, like, to see what it's like?" Silence hung heavily in the air for a beat.

"Uh, yeah, I mean, if you want to," Janis sputtered, and Cady panicked for a moment. She had crossed a line. She had totally, totally screwed up.

"Oh my God, I mean, wait-- I don't, I didn't mean like I like you or anything and we don't even have to do it, I just-- I'm in this weird mood today, and--"

Before Cady could finish her sentence, Janis seized her by her shirt collar and pulled her in. 

Cady melted into the kiss, inhaling the scent of Janis's strawberry shampoo. Her heart was doing cartwheels again, and Janis's hand threaded its way through her hair, tangling in her curls. She was intoxicating. Cady pulled back for air, and Janis's eyes locked onto hers. Her face was flushed and she was breathing heavily, and Cady thought that she had never looked more beautiful. 

"So you're sure you like girls?"

Cady pulled Janis back in for another kiss. She thought it served as an adequate response in itself.


	4. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A different ending to the "Someone Gets Hurt (Reprise)" scene; just because I felt it could have gone better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has mentions of homophobia & the d-slur in it, as well as mentions of self-harm. Please don't read ahead if you're sensitive to this kind of subject matter <3

In fairness, she knew it would happen.

That didn't stop it from hurting like hell.

"It's not my fault you're like, in love with me or something!" Cady exclaims, throwing her hands in the air for emphasis. The words hit Janis like a slap in the face, and she recoils, fighting back the tears that are threatening to spill over. She will NOT cry in front of this twisted, barbie-fied version of her best friend.

As the words hang in the air, Cady's eyes soften, and she almost looks sorry for a moment. Before she can apologize, however, Janis's pain turns to rage, and she scowls at her former friend. Damian says something, but Janis can't make out the words. Everything else seems far away, distant. Trivial. 

"See, that's the thing with you Plastics, you think everybody is in love with you, when ACTUALLY everybody HATES you!" She spits, eyes burning. 

Cady's face crumples, and for a millisecond all Janis wants to do is wrap her in a hug. But she isn't Cady anymore, Janis reminds herself. So she keeps talking.

"You don't GET to play that card, Cady, because you have NO IDEA what I've endured-- how many people cut me off when Regina started that stupid rumor, how many people have called me "dyke" and "lesbo" and "freak" since. I was OSTRACIZED for something I had no say in, and maybe it hurt as much as it did because Regina was RIGHT. I like girls, so what?! Right?! But that's not how it went in eighth grade. And no, it wasn't just the rumors and the name-calling and the locker vandalization. All of the girls in my grade signed a petition that Regina made that said I couldn't change in the girls' locker room with them because I was some sort of PREDATOR, that I was a CREEP. It didn't matter to them that up until then, I'd changed in a stall. I was always aware of the fact that I should respect them, and so I never even changed out in the open because I was so afraid of being perceived as a threat, but they still signed it anyway, and took it to the Principal. And then in ninth grade, it only got worse, because there were more kids from different middle schools who learned all too quickly about the dyke in their grade, and then there were MORE whispers and MORE stares and MORE lockers ruined. My parents had to pull me out of school because it got so bad that I started to hurt myself, but you wouldn't know because you never bothered to ask why I only ever wear long sleeves, even outside in the sun, and that's not entirely your fault because you're new and still learning, Cady, but you don't get to pull that "Janis is obsessed with me" BULLSHIT, because I KNOW I don't love the person you've become." 

Cady is crying now, full-on, chest-heaving, shoulders-shaking, ugly crying. Janis tries to keep her composure, but she figures she's already made herself vulnerable enough. So she lets the tears fall. 

"I-I'm so sorry, Janis," Cady manages. "I had no idea, I'm so sorry," She's shaking, and Janis feels herself giving in. Because truthfully, she's not as tough as she likes other people to think she is.

"I swear I'll change, I never meant to h-hurt you," Cady chokes out. Janis steps forward timidly, then pulls Cady into a hug. 

"Okay, okay, but you... you have to promise me. I can't lose another friend." Cady nods against her, and Janis tightens her grip. She's still shaking, and Janis rubs her back soothingly. It seems to calm her down, at least enough to pull back and say something more.

"I... I'm really sorry for not going to your art show, and for not inviting you to my stupid party. I think you're really talented and I feel so awful for not going to see your work." Cady sniffles, and Janis's heart kind of melts. 

"Hey, it's... well, it's not fine, but I do have one of my paintings." She tosses it to Cady, her mouth quirking up in a half-smile. 

"It won a prize." 

She's almost proud when Cady blushes.  
The music from the party can still be heard outside, and Janis feels a strange urge to follow her friend back inside, so she turns to Damian and tells him she'll see him at school the next day. He agrees, somewhat reluctantly, and drives off. 

As soon as they get inside, Janis regrets her decision. A mass of drunk teenagers takes up the entire foyer, making it almost impossible to even get in. Thankfully, Cady seizes her arm and drags her behind her, weaving her way through the mob of students.  
Cady reaches the stereo, her ultimate destination, and shuts it off without a second thought. There's an immediate reaction; shouts of protest fill the room, and Cady rolls her eyes.

Janis, feeling useless and wanting to help, grabs a microphone off of a nearby karaoke machine and yells, "Get the hell out! Party's over, assholes!" 

Okay, so it wasn't nice, but it WAS effective. Cady snorts out a laugh beside her as teenagers mill about, heading for the exit. 

"What? It was efficient!" Janis says, smiling at her own antics. Cady laughs again, and her heart flutters in her chest.

They can definitely work past this whole Plastic thing, she decides.


	5. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cady is a good friend, but she wants to be more. *Mentions of homophobia & the d-slur

Cady was in the girls' bathroom reapplying her lipstick when she heard it.

The faintest sniffle, coming from the very last stall on the far left of the restroom. She figured it was nothing, shrugging it off before she continued to tamper with her appearance, fluffing her hair up a bit and turning to leave.   
Just as she reached the door, though, a strangled sob rang out. Cady jumped, fully alert and concerned now. It sounded strangely familiar, and it wasn't until she heard a whispered "shit" that she realized who it was. 

Her heart clenched at the thought of her friend in pain, and she turned on her heel, heading for the stall. 

"Janis?" Cady said timidly, letting the words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. 

"Listen, I know you're in there. There's no point in denying it or ignoring me. Please, just open the door, I want to help--" She was cut off by the bathroom door swinging open to reveal her best friend, whose mascara was already running. Janis looked like she was in agony, and Cady rushed forward, immediately enveloping her in a hug.

She could feel Janis shaking in her embrace, and she fought down her worry. She had to focus on comforting her friend, and the only way to do that was to figure out what was wrong. Cady pulled back slightly so that she was looking into Janis's eyes.

"Jan, what's wrong? I... I just want to be there for you." Janis's face scrunched up, and Cady immediately felt guilty. She shouldn't have pried, she was such an idiot sometimes--

"I-It's s-s-stupid," Janis choked out, tears still spilling down her face. The sight made Cady want to cry herself, but she kept her composure. 

"Hey, no, don't do that. I promise, whatever it is, I won't judge you. Okay?" 

Janis nodded, seemingly contemplating   
how to word her response before speaking again. 

"I-It's just... everything builds up over time, y'know, and I know I-I shouldn't let people g-get to me but it still h-hurts, being called a dyke, like I-I-I'm disgusting or something, and I j-just can't do it anymore, Caddy, I c-can't," Janis heaved a shuddering sigh before she dissolved into tears again, slumping over onto Cady's shoulder.

Cady reacted instantaneously, pulling her friend closer to her and backing up against the wall of the stall. She slid her back down it until she was sitting on the bathroom floor, Janis clutching to her like a lifeline. She didn't know what to do.

"Hey, shh, it's okay. Janis, I'm so sorry," She murmured, running a hand through the other girl's hair. Every time Janis's chest heaved with another sob, it was like an iron fist closed around her heart.  
It physically pained her, and she wondered if she had ever felt this strongly about any of her other friends before.

"Janis, you need to listen to me. Those kids that say those things to you, they're terrible, and their opinions don't matter. You're incredible, okay?" This seemed to catch Janis's attention, and she lifted her head and looked up into Cady's eyes.

"You're amazing, seriously. I don't know what I would do without you," Cady confessed, blushing now. She hoped the yellowish light of the bathroom would mask it, but judging by the expression on Janis's face, it didn't.

"I... Thank you. Cady, you're... you're probably the closest friend I've ever had besides Damian, which is really saying something. Just... thank you for being there." She wiped away a stray tear, and sat back. Cady's arms loosened around her.

"It's no problem, seriously. I just did what was right, and... I could never have just left you here. You okay now?" 

Janis nodded, her shoulders relaxing. Without warning, she slumped back into Cady's embrace, nestling her head in the crook of her neck. Cady could feel her own face heating up, her heart beating faster. She fought down her emotions for the second time that day and tightened her arms around Janis, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

 

She was really in deep.


End file.
